EMOTIONAL WOUND THESAURUS

FINDING OUT ONE WAS ADOPTED



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HELPFUL TIP:

Emotional wounds will steer a character's behavior, corrupt his worldview, and cause negative traits to form. To understand exactly how this occurs, please read our tutorial for the Wound Thesaurus.

NOTE: We realize that sometimes a wound we profile may have personal meaning, stirring up the past for some of our readers. It is not our intent to create emotional turmoil. Please know that we research each wounding topic carefully to treat it with the utmost respect.
EXAMPLES:
Being told about the adoption by one's parents
Learning about the adoption by accident (overhearing a conversation, finding a birth certificate, etc.)
A jealous or spiteful relative hinting at the information, making one curious
Finding out when a serious illness requires knowledge of one's medical history
Confronting one's parents because of personal suspicions (because one does not look like them, due to cryptic comments by a distant relative, etc.)
Finding out after the death of one's parents
Being approached by strangers claiming to be one's birth parents or siblings

WOUND CATEGORY:
Misplaced Trust and Betrayals

BASIC NEEDS OFTEN COMPROMISED BY THIS WOUND:
safety and security, love and belonging, esteem and recognition, self-actualization

LIES THAT MAY DEVELOP FOR CHARACTERS WITH THIS WOUND:
There must be something fundamentally wrong with them
They don't belong anywhere; no one wants them
They probably should never have been born
They don't know who they are
If their parents can lie to them, then no one can be trusted
If their parents could abandon them, anyone can and probably will
If they put walls up, people can't manipulate their feelings
Love makes everything hurt more

THE CHARACTER MAY FEAR:
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POSSIBLE RESPONSES AND RESULTS:
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POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES THAT MAY RESULT:
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NEGATIVE TRAITS THAT MAY RESULT:
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TRIGGERS THAT MIGHT AGGRAVATE THIS WOUND:
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STEPS TOWARD HEALING:
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OPPORTUNITIES TO FACE OR OVERCOME THIS WOUND:
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